


remember this feeling

by bananas



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: AU, Boys In Love, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, i dont even know what au this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-10 01:37:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananas/pseuds/bananas
Summary: This was it. This was the highlight of Joe’s life. He felt giddy and drunk and everything good that you feel when you're just past that level of tipsy and nearing the piss drunk stage. He snaked an arm around Jos's waist who smiled at him, pulling him closer.-21st century London. Jos and Joe are together and in love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (another day, another fic)  
> welcome to an extremely fluffy and potentially plotless jos/joe fic!  
> this first chap is short but there will be more to come (soon, hopefully)  
> happy reading! 
> 
> (this hasnt been beta'd, please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes, i'm too lazy to check)
> 
> disclaimer: this fic isn't real, it's just based on real people

This was it. This was the highlight of Joe’s life. He felt giddy and drunk and everything good that you feel when you're just past that level of tipsy and nearing the piss drunk stage. He snaked an arm around Jos's waist who smiled at him, pulling him closer. The pulsating lights of the club reflected off his teeth as he did so and Joe smiled back, leaning in instinctively.

 

They left the club hours later, around the time that Joe’s head started spinning and he could no longer walk or see straight. Jos’s strong arm was around him as he led them out of the door and Joe’s head fell onto his shoulder at some point as they stumbled on to the sidewalk, Jos holding them both upright. He must have hailed them a taxi because Jos was leading him into a car a few minutes later.

 

Joe slid in till he felt cool glass against his face and he felt Jos follow him in, hands still intertwined. He sighed contentedly, leaning back, stretching his legs and closing his eyes. He caught Jos staring at him when he opened them again and smiled lazily at him. Jos smiled back, dimples and all and Joe moved closer, placing his head on Jos’s shoulder again. Jos’s arm went around him and his head rested lightly on Joe's. Joe sighed again, smiling slightly. This was it. This was the highlight of his life.

 

Joe leaned up against the wall next to their apartment door with his eyes closed as Jos fished for the keys in his pockets. He heard the jingle of the keys as Jos located them finally and he let his eyes open when the familiar click of their door unlocking echoed in the deserted corridor. He straightened up and followed Jos in; shutting the door with his foot behind him and toeing his shoes off somewhere near the entrance.

 

Jos’s hand found his at one point as Joe stumbled over the random assortment of books, shoes and empty takeaway containers littering their apartment floor. They didn’t bother turning any lights on the way, not until they reached the room. But even then, Jos only flipped the bathroom light switch, filling the room in a soft, yellow glow. Joe made way for the bed immediately, ready to collapse on to it but a small tug on his arm and a soft “Joe, brush your teeth first,” from Jos stopped him and led him to the bathroom instead.

 

He blinked under the harsh, yellow light of the dingy bathroom. Jos handed him a toothbrush with toothpaste on it as he adjusted to the light and came and stood next to him. They brushed in silence as Joe’s eyes grew heavy and the exhaustion of the night threatened to overcome him. Jos took him to their bed after that, tucking him in first before switching off the bathroom light and getting in next to him. Joe rolled over to him till Jos put an arm around him and pulled him closer. Joe buried his face in Jos’s chest then, breathing deeply. Jos pulled the duvet over both of them, encasing them in warmth in the chilly apartment. This was it. This was the highlight of Joe’s life.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> winter comes to london

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an abnormally cold karachi evening inspired this
> 
> (I'm so nervous about posting this)

Joe never understood why Jos liked the harsh, cold winter that London had to offer. He never understood why his face lit up the morning after the first snowfall but he loved seeing the smile on his face all the same when they woke up to a blanketed city. That morning, Jos told Joe that his eyes looked clearer, bluer, more beautiful against the snowflakes falling around them. Joe smiled, remembering how he told Jos the very same that summer on the beach when Jos’s eyes matched the sky.

 

He never understood why Jos loved staying out on winter evenings. He joined him that night anyway, regardless of the cold, and they huddled together on a bench in a deserted park as the sky grew darker and the temperature dropped lower. Jos took them through the city after that, through the longer route home passing the busier streets of London, lit up with Christmas lights and filled with people, with his arm around Joe and a smile on his face.

 

The winter that year was colder, fiercer than any London had seen before. The winds were harsh, biting at their skin and cutting through their layers easily in the early morning at the bus stop. Joe ended up pressing close to Jos, huddling for warmth till their bus arrived.

 

The evening on the way home from work wasn't any better; Joe shivered uncontrollably during the walk from the bus stop to their apartment as Jos rubbed his arms up and down to try and warm him until they reached inside and he kicked the heater awake. He made them both hot tea as soon as Joe sank down on the sofa, bringing them to him with a kiss on his forehead and some biscuits.

 

Joe never understood why Jos stayed awake most winter nights, in bed with his arm around a sleeping Joe, watching the snow fall outside, frosting up the glass. Joe woke one night to find Jos awake once again, his gaze transfixed on the iced window pane and he asked him. Jos simply said it reminded him of home. Joe returned Jos’s sad smile, accepted his outstretched arm and put it around his shoulder, settling against the warmth of his body as they watched London finally get it's white Christmas.

 

-

 

Winters made Joe sleepy and so he spent most bus rides to and from work, sleeping on Jos’s shoulder at the back of the bus on the same seats they sat on everyday; the ones right behind the seat with the most graffitied back in the bus. Jos loved reading the graffiti on that; Joe caught him reading it intently every time he was jerked awake during their bumpy rides.

 

One night, when the heater in their apartment stopped working suddenly, Joe was forced awake, unable to stop shivering despite the duvet and Jos’s arms around him. Jos woke up as well then, and immediately rushed to get more blankets for him, cocooning them both in them till the weak, winter sunlight broke through their threadbare curtains.

 

Joe woke up a few hours later to Jos on the phone in the lounge, speaking softly to their landlord about the heater. Despite the low volume of his voice, Joe heard Jos’s frustration and he could predict that the landlord probably refused to get it fixed for them; KP wasn’t known for fixing anything broken in the building.

 

He stumbled out of bed, wrapping the blankets around him against the chilly temperature of their apartment as he did so, and padded in to the lounge. Jos stood in the middle, staring down at his phone with a frown on his face. He looked up when he heard Joe enter who gave him a sleepy smile.

 

“Sorry, I tried. He didn’t listen-” Jos looked so sorry and upset that Joe pulled him in for a warm hug before he could finish.

 

“Shhh. It’s fine. I know a guy; I'll call him.” Jos hugged him back, pulling them close underneath the blankets in a way that always made Joe feel warmer instantly, on the outside and on the inside.

 

Joe answered the door to a smiling, red-cheeked man an hour or so later. He introduced himself as Chris Woakes, an electrician and Joe’s old mate, Titch’s boyfriend; Titch had sent him over after receiving Joe’s text that morning. Joe smiled at the man and let him in, letting Jos know who was here with a call in the direction of the bathroom he was occupying and closed the front door behind him with a soft thud.

 

Jos emerged, wiping his hands hastily and led Chris to the broken down heater. He assisted Chris after that while Joe kept his distance, getting them all tea instead and leaning against the doorway, watching Chris explain to a very attentive Jos what exactly had gone wrong with the heater and how they could even fix it themselves next time, if they wanted to.

 

Chris refused payment after he was done, citing that any friend of Titch’s was a friend of his but Jos made him promise to come over sometime with Titch for a dinner at the very least. Chris smiled, agreeing and left the same way he came, smiling and red-cheeked.

 

Jos still hugged Joe close that night despite the warmth in their apartment from the revived heater as they sat on the sofa after dinner watching an old Christmas movie. Joe fell asleep halfway through, tucked into Jos’s chest. He woke up sometime later to find himself in Jos’s arms as he stumbled through the apartment, trying to carry him to bed. He lay him down as Joe smiled sleepily up at him. Jos kissed his lips lightly in reply before joining him under the duvet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it has been brought to my attention by one of my betas that, uh, jos grew up south of england where it is apparently warmer and joe grew up further up north than he did so technically, jos should be more accustomed to the warmth and joe should be more used to the cold which is the exact opposite of what I've conveyed in this fic. so.
> 
> I mean, this fic is an au after all so it's fine right? yes?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jos and joe host a dinner for friends, old and new

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some more intense themes in this chapter, as mentioned in the tags, so it's not as light and fluffy as the fic started out but still fluffy all the same, hopefully. this chapter struck a bit closer to home so I really hope it turned out well!!
> 
> a big thank you to @lordsanga, @malikroyalty and, of course, @fantasy, for the help in the bit of punjabi (and in general) for this fic. it's only a line but I might've driven eman nuts with the amount of times I nagged her..  
> general consensus brought about the final punjabi line in this fic and hopefully it's correct. I don't know if it is because I don't speak Punjabi but if anyone who does is reading this fic and they find something wrong with the line, do let me know in the comments below.
> 
> this chapter is mostly for the anon who asked about my thoughts on shadab/hasan the other day and for @malikroyalty. does this fic, although an au, convince you of the possibilities of this ship happening?
> 
> thank you to s for letting me force her into beta-ing and also for calling me at 11 am and shouting "post it!!!!" I have the flu and a terrible headache but thanks.
> 
> happy reading!

London grew warmer over the next few weeks and, while Joe's relief was uninhibited, Jos grimaced at the bright, yellow sunlight peeking through their curtains early that morning. But his boyfriend's smile when he pulled open the curtains and basked in the warmth of the sun with a happy shout was one that made the hot day more bearable for Jos. He even smiled while kissing Joe at the door as he headed out to work, back arching after Joe's cheeky pat on his bum and he finally left the doorway he'd been crowding for the past 10 minutes while saying goodbye to him.

 

The smile had been wiped from his face by the time he came back, late in the evening from his shift at the diner, sweaty and exhausted and inwardly cursing the warm weather. He was squinting still as he exited the stairwell of their building because of the harsh rays of the sun he'd been forced to walk under on the way home from work. The buses hadn't operated on time that day and after waiting for nearly an hour at the bus stop he'd braved the walk home in the heat, steadfastly ignoring the allure of the passing taxis, knowing he was better off not spending his collected tips for the day and more on a ridiculously expensive cab ride.

 

Loud voices greeted him as he entered the corridor of his apartment’s floor and he frowned, blinking to adjust to the light. He saw Joe first; he was as cheerful as ever, standing in their open doorway, chatting away merrily to a dark-skinned young man across him who was smiling as well and nodding along to everything he was saying even though he seemed to struggle slightly to keep up with the fast pace of Joe's sentences.

 

Joe looked up as Jos approached, his smile growing wider, if possible and Jos grinned back, all complaints of the heat and the sticky, sweaty shirt on his back forgotten.

 

But he didn't linger and, with a polite smile in the brown man’s direction followed by a swift kiss on Joe's cheek, he left them both standing in the hallway. He made his way to the bathroom directly, ready to wash of the days sweat and grime and Joe joined him a few a minutes later.

 

Joe warmed up food for them afterwards and Jos ate in silence, exhausted from the day but Joe's chatter continued as he described his day off work and their new neighbours as well, who'd just moved across from them; a Pakistani couple, two boys much younger than the both of them, looking for a fresh start in life away from the bigotry and mistreatment back home.

 

Joe barely touched his food as he talked, telling Jos about nice Shadab was and how he was sure that Hasan, although coming off as a bit more shy and closed off than his boyfriend, was just as nice as Shadab. He went on to say how wonderful it was to have nice neighbours after the last person, a man named Warner, who lived across from them turned out to not be very happy with having a gay couple live across from him and tried to get them evicted but KP, their landlord, despite proving to be harsh and uncaring sometimes, didn't put up with it and said it was best if Warner moved out instead.

 

Joe had a feeling, and Jos was inclined to agree with him, that Warner's comments hit a bit too close to home for KP and that's why he reacted the way he did. After all, they'd spotted a tall, broad man with a jaw so sharp it looked like it could cut glass, leaving KP’s penthouse in the early hours of the morning on more than one occasion.

 

Before Joe finished his recount and returned to his now-cold dinner, he mentioned that he'd invited them over for dinner next week, the same day that Titch and Chris were meant to stop by. Jos raised his eyebrows before thanking him for at least informing him this time, unlike last time when Jos and Joe came home from work to find Swanny and Jimmy at their front door, apparently invited over by Joe for a lunch that he hadn't bothered to remember himself or to tell Jos about. Joe looked sheepish at the reminder but his smile didn't fade as he picked up his fork and continued to eat his dinner.

 

-

 

In the days leading up to the dinner they were hosting, Joe took it to himself to remind Jos everyday, multiple times a day, that Jos had to cook either halal meat or fish or vegetables because their new neighbours were practicing Muslims. Jos remembered well enough after the first 4 reminders but Joe continued, in case Jos forgot and "cooked the wrong meat like pork or non-halal chicken and then what would we serve our new neighbours Jos?” Jos reassured him each time, reminding him in turn that he had cooked for their friends Mo and Adil from down at the barber shop, on more than one occasion but Joe was relentless with his reminders.

 

Joe's panicking voice echoed in his head as he began to prepare the meal on Saturday afternoon and Jos smiled. Joe was desperate to make their new neighbours feel welcome. After all, they both knew how difficult it was to move to a new place and be surrounded by strangers.

 

Jos also knew from Joe's hushed whispers as they lay in bed a few nights after their neighbours arrival, that these young men had faced much more pain and prosecution from their own people and their own families than Jos or Joe would ever have to face in their entire life from anyone. Jos's heart ached for them and he held Joe close as he told him how Shadab was moved to tears when he recounted their experiences and how, even though he didn't cry like his boyfriend, Hasan's stoic silence was enough to convey the pain they'd experienced back home. Jos promised himself that night that he would, along with Joe, do everything he could to make their transition to life in London smooth and to make them feel more welcome and loved here.

 

Chris and Titch arrived late in the evening and Joe rushed from the lounge to welcome them in but not before letting Jos cheekily know that he was glad to be of some help at least, after Jos banned him from the kitchen following the infamous “nearly lighting the kitchen on fire after trying to make tea” incident of last year.

 

Shadab and Hasan followed them, right when Jos was done in the kitchen and he opened the door to them with Joe by his side. They smiled at their new neighbours, with Joe's smile perhaps a bit too wide, but Shadab smiled hesitantly back and even Hasan curved his lips slightly in reply. They'd brought dessert with them, a Pakistani delicacy known as _kheer_ that Hasan had prepared following his family's recipe which was famous back in their home town, according to Shadab. Hasan looked down as Shadab told them this and while this could've been interpreted as shyness or modesty, Jos caught a glimpse of sadness, instead, in the man's eyes at the mention of his family.

 

Titch and Chris stood up to greet the new couple as well, welcoming them to London and to England. Titch immediately launched in to a recount of his trip to Delhi a few years back before Chris stopped him, reminding him that they were Pakistani, not Indian. Shadab immediately stepped in, citing that India and Pakistan were almost the same after all, born of the same land and of the same people and that he would love to hear about Titch's visit. He encouraged Titch to continue and they soon became engrossed in a deep discussion about the historical Mughal landmarks Titch had visited on his trip and how both Pakistan and India shared the rich history and culture passed on from their Mughal rulers.

 

Joe went to set the table while Chris and Jos struck up a conversation with Hasan who was hesitant at first, giving only monosyllabic answers until Shadab, stopping mid-sentence in what he was saying to Titch about the Wagah border, reassured his boyfriend in a language that Jos didn't recognize.

 

_“Aaaram. Tusi fiqar na kro; o bare change log ne.”_

 

Hasan nodded, his shoulders still tense but he grew more relaxed as their conversation flowed and Chris inquired about his new job as a cab driver. Hasan was more open after that, laughing along to Chris and Jos’s jokes and sharing stories about his first week at work as well.

 

Joe called them for dinner and Jos led them all to the table. They ate but the conversations didn't stop as Joe jumped into a conversation with Titch and Shadab about everything he'd learnt at university about Pakistani culture in his Sub-continent History and Culture classes at university, full of questions about what, out of everything he'd learnt, was accurate and what wasn't. Shadab happily answered all his queries and Titch asked a few questions of his own that he'd been too afraid to ask the locals on his trip to India.

 

The conversation shifted to the new FIFA 18 a while later, probably brought up by Titch or Jos and they all joined in this time, finding some common ground in their love for video games. A tournament to follow dinner and dessert was proposed as Jos brought out the apple pie that he'd picked up and the _kheer_ Shadab and Hasan had brought. After a few helpings of each, they all cleared up the table and did the dishes, despite Jos and Joe’s insistence that they could manage. 

 

Jos pulled out a few beers as Joe led them to the TV and the Xbox. Shadab and Hasan declined the drinks as did Titch under Chris's watchful gaze, citing that he was supposed to be cutting down on alcohol after finding out about his heart condition.

 

The FIFA tournament was intense, Titch taking Chris and Shadab for his team immediately while Jos called Hasan and Joe to his. It came down to the wire in the end, with Hasan taking on Titch, both being cheered on loudly and enthusiastically by their respective boyfriends and Joe as well, who was shouting in general, every time the ball was passed or someone was tackled or, especially, when a player fell over, comically enough.

 

Their evening ended with Titch being hailed as the champion and with Hasan smiling widely as he congratulated his opponent, a stark contrast to his distrustful, unsure demeanor at the start of the evening.

 

Titch and Chris left first, with the excuse that they had a long ride home but not before Jos pushed a big box of leftovers into their hands. Shadab and Hasan followed soon after, thanking them for their hospitality and even accepting the hug Joe pulled them each into, despite the surprise on their faces. Jos stayed back after handing them their leftovers and smiled at them as Hasan smiled back, seemingly grateful that Jos hadn't pulled him into a hug as well. Like Titch and Chris, Joe and Jos made them promise to visit whenever they wished and that they had to make these dinners and FIFA tournaments a monthly occurrence, at least. They all agreed immediately, Hasan more enthusiastic than Jos would have expected.

 

Joe cleared up the lounge of empty beer bottles and Xbox remotes after they left as Jos collapsed on the sofa, exhausted from the day of work and cooking. Joe helped up from the sofa with an outstretched hand and Jos followed him to their room. Tucked into bed a few minutes later, Jos curled arm around Joe's waist, pulling him closer against him and he let the sound of Joe's relaxed breathing put him sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the italicized line spoken by Shadab to reassure hasan in punjabi is supposed to mean "relax. don't worry about it, they're good people" for anyone wondering.  
> and _kheer,_ as explained by shadab, is a Pakistani sweet dish made with milk and rice (?) and sugar and it's delicious

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> come say hi: [tumblr](http://storm-alert.tumblr.com)  
> 


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